Have you ever struggled to step out in faith when you sensed God calling you to do something? Or perhaps you’ve just doubted your faith because of difficult circumstances swirling around you.
My friend, Heather King, is guest posting today on my blog and her new book Anywhere Faith is something you will definitely want to check out. She writes candidly about how fear and insecurity often get in the way of our desire to step out in faith. You’ll be challenged and encouraged by her words!
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I was in the middle of packing for a writer’s conference when I felt a crushing wave of defeat.
I wanted to give up.
It would be easier (I told God) if I just stopped now, stopped packing, stopped investing time, energy, focus and resources on writing.
Maybe I could pick it up again later, but right now this was hard.
I felt terrifyingly small. I worried that maybe I was trying to do something that God hadn’t actually called me to do. Had I heard His voice right? Was I in His will?
I also, to be totally honest, felt overwhelmed by the idea of being plain old me at a large writer’s conference with women who looked so put-together. They would have perfect hair with perfect highlights and perfectly awesome shoes that matched their perfectly stylish outfits.
Me? I don’t have highlights in my hair and I don’t wear high heels. Surely I’d be out of place.
I flopped back on the pillows of my bed with stacks of clothes around me and an empty suitcase in front of me.
It felt like one of those defining moments, one of those times when we have to choose whether we take another step forward and say “yes” to God or we pack it all in and choose what feels easier in the moment.
Two things happened.
The first is I remembered I wasn’t alone. Many before me had similar conversations with God.
Moses wanted God to “send somebody else.”
Gideon wasn’t sure he heard God’s voice clearly.
Esther was afraid of what might happen if she obeyed.
Martha thought God’s call didn’t make sense.
So often what we really need in our Christian walk is for someone to understand what we’re going through and to say, “Me too! I’ve been there! And this is how God was faithful.”
That’s what Scripture shows us. We see broken people bringing their brokenness before God and He still used them.
We don’t have to pretend with God and we don’t have to be perfect before He can use us. We can tell Him the deeply honest truth and bring Him our brokenness so He can make us whole and holy. (#AnywhereFaith)
I brought God my smallness in that moment. I gave Him my brokenness. I told Him the truth:
I feel overwhelmed by the task and underwhelmed by my ability. I feel like others are more able and more worthy. I feel uncertain of the next step. But I will go. I will follow you “Anywhere” you want me to go as long as you go with me.
As a teen girl, I had copied a poetic prayer into the front of my Bible that began with these words:
Lord, send me anywhere only go with me (David Livingstone).
This became the prayer of my heart.
And truly, wherever He calls us to go, He’s right there with us and His presence is our great desire and our deepest need.
The second thing that happened for me in that moment I wanted to give up is that my phone pinged with a Facebook message from an author I’d never met face to face.
She had been to the writer’s conference before and wanted to encourage me with this: “Don’t feel overwhelmed. God’s got this. Don’t worry about what to wear or whether you have the perfect hair. Don’t feel out of place because you think every woman there will have snazzy outfits and you won’t fit in. Just be yourself and trust God.”
It was the perfect confirmation, perfect encouragement, perfect word at the perfect moment.
When our hearts are set on obedience to God, He is our Help and our Strength along the way. We don’t have to be enough all on our own!
Whatever God has called you to do, whether it’s to follow Him around the world, across the street or right there in your own home:
He will equip you, He will be with you, and He will help you overcome. (#AnywhereFaith)
But we must first choose to bring Him the honest truth about our fears, insecurities, and excuses and ask for His help to follow Him “Anywhere.”
When I am afraid, I put my trust in you (Psalm 56:3).
To read more about how we can bring our honest struggles and fears to God and ask for His help to live lives of obedience and faith, please check out my new book: Anywhere Faith: Overcome Fear, Insecurity, and Excuses and Say Yes to God.
To read more devotionals from heather C. King, please visit her website at http://heathercking.org/ or on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/heatherckingauthor/
Lisa Preuett~Rest Stop for the Soul 